Paris Pig’s Trotter! Au Pied de Cochon! Celebrating Swine In The City Of Lights!!

Welcome to Paris – to many, the most beautiful city in the world! And you know what, there’s no reason to argue – beauty is beauty! At night, the city of Paris offers many classic images to enjoy…

And Don’t Forget These Classic Images!

And beyond the sights of Paris, there is also the SMELL:

Behold The Pig’s Trotter!

OK, you knew this was going to be a food post, RIGHT? How can you go to Paris and NOT enjoy the amazing food?

Famous Paris Bistros – Celebrate The Swine!

Here is a day in our food tour of Paris – celebrating a classic Parisian bistro that celebrates swine!

Au Pied de Cochon

This classic french bistro in the Les Halles district of Paris is open until late at night, famed for their 3a pig’s feet – and their legendary french onion soup.

Their namesake greets you at the door, and just about everywhere else as well, including on the plate at your table:

The restaurant has a classic bistro feel inside, and it is cavernous, which is why we were able to walk right in on a weekday afternoon:

The key to this meal is, of course, pig – but there are other classic french options as well, such as their famous french onion soup:

Behold The French Onion Soup!

You can argue all day about who has the best french onion soup – and you ALWAYS know when someone serves you the WORST – but this is one delicious bowl of soup!

As you can see, the gruyere cheese was melted to golden perfection on top, and underneath the cheese was a hearty beef broth full of onions and that unique french bread, a flavor you can’t replicate in the states….here is some that escaped the soup:

Pig Spread Ahead!

And what do they serve with that perfect french bread? Well, butter of course, but they also put a small bowl of pork spread on the table as well….a very nice and tasty touch…

My Favorite French Water!

Also on the table was a large bottle of my favorite french water: BADOIT. It’s Evian’s sparkling water – but without the heavy carbonation of Perrier…it’s my favorite:

Onto The Trotter!

The specialty of the house is, of course, grilled pigs’ feet with béarnaise sauce – behold the pig’s trotter!

This is a full pig;s foot, which has been coated in bread crumbs and cooked up nice a crisp…and of course, it comes with a side of bernaise sauce…

As you can see, it is very thick and rich, dotted with herbs…and it provides a perfect dip for the thick, crispy fries that come with the trotter:

And…How Does It Taste?

That is a very good question. Quick answer? Delicious! The skin is crispy yet juicy, with an intense pork flavor…and a texture like a micro-thin strip of jerky…

Once you dig into the trotter, you realize why this is a part of the pig that isn’t served too often:

Looking inside the trotter, you will find a LOT of gelatin – that is what a pig’s trotter is made of…knowing that, you pick through the trotter for small bits of cooked meat, you devour the crispy delicious skin, and you take on the gelatin to the point you feel comfortable doing so…

After a bowl of the french onion soup, and the terrific baguette/pork spread, I was pleasantly full – but if you order this expecting to devour it, you might find the gelatin a bit too much to handle…

“I’ll Just Have A Light Salad Please!”

Alex went with a salad for her main course, but when we say salad, remember it’s a “house of swine”! Her salad came with a poached egg and lots and lots of ham!

As you can see, it is a great looking salad – but a salad that is loaded with tasty ham…as it should be, as this is an iconic home to swine – and they give you a takeaway coaster to prove it!

The “Swine Sampler”

Other specialties include a platter named after the medieval patron saint of sausage makers, “la temptation de St-Antoine”, which includes grilled pig’s tail, pig’s snout, and half a pig’s foot, all served with béarnaise and french fries – in a sense a “swine sampler plate!”

What A Sweet Pig!

And that’s not all: we were too full to order dessert, but that doesn’t matter here – they leave you a taste sweet to end the meal regardless!

So Alex and I toast Au Pied de Cochon for their hospitality and terrific food – a truly iconic bistro in Paris!

I love great food, interesting books, fascinating travel, outrageous movies, and bacon, especially when it sits on top of a great cheeseburger!
I work in entertainment - and I have been lucky enough to interview some really talented Artists - that guides my posts: interesting and provocative movies, music, social media and of course, food, since I believe strongly in the maxim, "everyone eats!"